The year is 2016. I’m leaving one province and venturing into the next. I welcome the change in landscape, trading the lush wild forests of Northern British Columbia for endless prairies and the cold lakes of Manitoba. I crossed the Saskatchewan Manitoba border from the North heading East on Highway 77. The sun was high, and the summer heat was already in the air days before officially starting. ..
Read MoreCanada
Training For The Olympics
Gymnastics is one of those sports where you can’t help question the physics and aptitude of the human body. The shear strength and flexibility leave you wondering what these humans will be capable of in the years to come as the sport progresses. I had the honour of photographing Jackson Payne, a local Calgarian gymnast who is currently on the Canadian national team with hopes of qualifying for the next summer Olympics…
Read MoreFinding pottery in British Columbia's Caribou Range | Back To The Land
On a not so particular day in May 2016, the search for people from small towns and remote areas continues. This next story and subject come from a place in British Columbia’s Caribou Range. An area of beauty that is nothing short of breathless. After recently getting hitched in the previous Fall, to the woman of my dreams, I asked my partner in crime to join me on this next leg of Back To The Land to Northern British Columbia…
Read MoreLocal Calgary airline sent to Antartica for rescue mission
Pilot Wolly Dobchuk who helped lead a team to Antartica in the middle of winter back in June of 2016 to rescue two people who required medical attention. Crazy right?
Read MoreMy paper map that led me to a beautiful coastal town called Zeballos
There I was sitting in a cafe in Campbell River, sipping a freshly brewed coffee with the ocean no more than a stone's throw away. A paper map stretched over the table, eyes wide and looking for another small town to visit. That's when I noticed the name Zeballos in the middle of nowhere.
Read MoreHow driving around aimlessly led me to meet an 11 year old that lives on a commune.
As I continue to catch up on blog posts from May of 2015 I leave you with a chance encounter from the British Columbia Kootenays. I met Raphael while taking a short pit stop in the town of Slocan which sits directly on the south end of Slocan Lake. If you ever get a chance to visit this part of Canada, I highly recommend driving HWY 6 between Upper Arrow Lake and Slocan Lake as the landscapes will leave you breathless. As I pulled into a gravel parking lot
Read MoreA 12 year old surfer from Tofino winning surfing competitions
When you think of Canada you may think of hockey, cold winters, mountains, and really friendly people (or at least I do); you don’t think of surfing. Obviously Canada isn’t known for producing world-class surfers on the big stage, however our waves are starting to take notice especially in a places like Tofino. If you have ever visited Tofino
Read MoreA random encounter that led to a day of tree planting
I met Lyndon through Brian Henderson's son as he operates a tree-plating business working throughout the BC Kootenays. My intention was never to go tree-planting, it was more of an opportunity that presented itself while sharing stories over a meal with Brian and his wife. Then, in less than 36 hours I was up at 5am, following a small convoy of rusted pickup trucks down a busy highway, and turning off onto a hidden road that was only visible by a small gap of random trees
Read MoreA blacksmith forages for metal and builds custom furniture
A couple hitch-hikes from Ireland to Afghanistan and back
I randomly met Brian Henderson through a series of introductions that all started with the wonderful Michelle Colley (previous blog post). After one introduction after another, a domino effect occurred and within 24 hours of arriving in Ymir, I felt as though I already knew half the town. This is how I came to meet Brian Henderson and his wife Sharon; they live just behind the town off a steep back road that hugs the base of the forest-covered
Read More